Research Centre and the Reading Room
The Research Centre holds written records documenting Australian involvement in war and operational service, as well as the historical background of conflicts in which Australia has been involved and their effects on Australian society. The majority of records held by the Research Centre have not been digitised and can only be viewed by visiting the Research Centre Reading Room, or by requesting copies of collection material.
Changes to the Reading Room
The Research Centre Room has relocated to a temporary building behind Poppy’s café, on the top level of the P1 visitor carpark.
Visits to the Reading Room will be for the purpose of viewing Research Centre collection material only. Researchers are required to request an appointment four weeks in advance to facilitate collection retrieval and delivery. Due to development works there may be times where there are considerable delays or restrictions on collection retrieval, however our staff will notify you if those works affect your request.
Appointments are available for the following sessions:
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Morning session (Monday to Friday): 10 am to 12.45 pm
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Afternoon session (Monday to Friday): 1.45 pm to 4.30 pm
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Afternoon session (Saturday): 1 pm to 4.30 pm
The Research Centre is closed Sunday and ACT public holidays.
Reading Room changes will be in effect for the next three years, due to onsite construction activity relating to the Memorial’s development project. A new Research Centre and Reading Room are included as part of this project. Learn more about these new facilities and our project plans here.
Researching your family’s military history
Many Commonwealth official records, photographs, diaries and letters can be found in our digital collection.
Due to limited capacity in our temporary Reading Room, we are offering military family history research online and through a phone enquiry service.
You can submit your relative’s personal or service details and research question using the form below. We aim to respond to online enquiries within 10 working days.